Inadvertent confessions
by Celtic Oak
Summary: After Sakura accidentally confesses her attraction towards a certain ANBU Captain to a room full of people, she tries to put it behind her. But a Hyuuga's retaliation can be daunting indeed and she might just get what she wished for. NejiSaku.
1. Part I

I decided to take a break from my usual GaaSaku and came up with this short fic for my second favourite pairing. Neji really is difficult to write so I hope I managed to pull him off. This fits within the series of two-shots I've been writing recently... I'll be putting the second part up soon.

I'll be returning to my other fics in a bit so I hope you enjoy this in the meantime.

Happy reading!

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**Part I**

Sakura ran through the halls as if death itself was following close on her heels. She passed many surprised shinobi, mostly assistants of the Hokage, but she ignored their calls and surprised yells as she scampered for some kind of refuge while clutching the file she was holding to her chest.

She couldn't believe this had happened.

She simply _couldn't_ believe it.

After carefully avoiding to open her big mouth for months, after making sure that she kept her thoughts to herself and didn't let anyone else know about her feelings… she had to go and blurt it out in the worst possible moment.

Rounding a corner, she made her way into an office she knew would be empty and closed the door, locking it behind her. Not that it would do her much good if _he_ decided to follow. He was Konoha's top ANBU Captain, after all.

Sighing dejectedly, Sakura proceeded to throw the folder upon the vacant desk inside the empty room and sat down on the chair behind it. She buried her face in her hands while trying to convince herself that things would be alright. It had been a joke, something she had said in jest. No one would be stupid enough to take it seriously. Would they?

Thinking about the traditional Hyuuga family and their stuck-up ways, she wasn't so sure.

'Damn you, sensei,' Sakura cursed inwardly, wanting to blame the Hokage for assigning her to the task that had led to her downfall.

Tsunade-sama had asked a group of medic nins to go over the medical files of Konoha's ANBU squad. It was time for them to update the information in the archives and they would have to include a recent medical check-up of all the ninjas on the hunter nin team. Since they were the ones that had the most complicated and difficult missions in all of Konoha, it was essential for them to be in their best condition. Thus, the Hokage had asked Sakura to supervise the task and had given her a group of medics to help her complete it.

They had been going over the files this morning and had been dividing them between them so that everyone got an equal number of shinobi to examine. They had already gone through most of the folders and only the Captains where left to hand out. It was then that Yuriko, seeing that there were only females in the room at the time, had spoken up.

"Some of these Captains are cute, don't you think?" she said with a mischievous smile. "How about we make a draw to see who we get?"

The female medics had laughed at that and Sakura, shaking her head at their antics, didn't see anything wrong with the idea. As long as they got the job done, it didn't matter who went over who's file. But while some of the girls started writing down the names of the male Captains down on small pieces of paper before folding them, the pink haired kunoichi couldn't help glancing at Hyuuga Neji's folder from the corner of her eye.

Almost every single female resident in Konoha, and some of the males too, thought that the skilled ANBU Captain was the most handsome man in the entire village. And those who didn't think so certainly agreed that he was among the top five. Neji had always been the object of admiration of many women, despite his calculating and stoic ways, and had been one of the most sought-after bachelors in Konoha for many years.

Despite this fact, he seemed to be oblivious to the reactions he caused among the female population and he concentrated solely on his missions, attaining jounin level in what seemed a blink of an eye and had broken more records in ANBU than any other shinobi in history.

It was said that he was the right hand of Death, the whisper of a breeze that announced his target's demise seconds before their breathing came to a halt. A shadow with raven black hair that blended with the night effortlessly as he went about his bloody tasks, a merciless glint shining from his silver eyes.

And thus, being female, Sakura couldn't exactly help being affected by his allure.

It had actually come as a revelation…something which she hadn't expected in her entire life. The pink haired kunoichi had always been proud of the way she had matured, of the way she had left her love-sick days behind. It was actually embarrassing to think of the way she had trailed after Sasuke when she was younger and how she had basically grovelled at his feet. She had been incredibly stupid back then and it had taken a harsh lesson for her realize the errors of her behaviour.

The Uchiha's betrayal had opened her eyes in more than one way.

Still, it had taken her some time to come to terms with the fact that she had more than just a passing interest in the Hyuuga prodigy and the realization had hit her hard. Sakura had thought herself 'cured' from experiencing those kinds of feelings for a man but it seemed that her heart had other ideas… especially when her body came in close proximity to the Captain and she could see his ANBU tattoo adorning the exquisite muscles of his upper arm. Due to the bonds of friendship of their little group, the pink haired kunoichi usually encountered Neji at casual dinners or other social gatherings and she didn't have any problems when it came to striking up a conversation with him. He was a responsible and extremely polite man; a shinobi that didn't hesitate to put himself on the line for the people he cared for. The silver eyed jounin was, underneath his cold façade, a very caring friend and she could honestly say she had a genuine friendship with him. She also respected him as professional since she had gone out on several missions under his command. His natural ability to lead and to provoke loyalty in his team was something she had always admired.

Especially because of all this, she refused to behave like all those insipid women out there that chased after him or that gave him lascivious looks whenever they had the chance. They were a perfect mirror of the girl she had been years back and she refused to resume such idiotic behaviour. She was a 20 year old kunoichi now and an extremely successful medic… such antics were completely below her. She wasn't about to spoil a sincere friendship with the Hyuuga just because her heart skipped a beat whenever she found his silver eyes gazing at her when they talked. It was pointless.

Thus, she had decided to keep quiet about the whole thing and not make a fuss about it. Sure, Neji was handsome and attractive, there was no denying that, but she wasn't about to put herself on the line because of some stupid infatuation that wouldn't lead to anything. She would get over it soon enough and that was that.

But her heart had a tendency of being treacherous and just when she thought she had put things behind her, it launched forward and caught her off guard.

Which was exactly what had happened this morning.

After the papers with the names of the Captains had been shuffled, young Fuka had spoken up on her behalf.

"Wait, I think we should let Sakura-san have her pick," she had said happily, "then we can make the draw."

The others had enthusiastically agreed for her to have this 'privilege', doing nothing to hide their admiration for their supervisor. Sakura had trained many of them when they were becoming medic nins and they had always been grateful for her guidance and support.

As much as she had tried to hide her sudden elation, the pink haired kunoichi had smiled and stepped towards the table where the files were stashed. They were between girls, weren't they? It wouldn't do any harm.

"Well, if that's the case," she said with a devious grin, "I think I'll take Captain Hyuuga." With that, she picked up Neji's file and flipped through it casually.

The girls giggled.

"Ahhh, Sakura-san, I wanted his file," Yuriko said teasingly, pouting a little.

"Sorry dear," the pink haired kunoichi said before she could stop herself, "I'm really looking forward to giving him a 'personal' medical check up…"

She let her words hang in the air, making some of them blush with her implied meaning.

"Well, well, Sakura, it seems you girls are having fun," a male voice sounded from the vicinity of the doorway.

All the medics whipped their heads around towards the open double doors of the large room, only to find Kiba, along a few other ANBU members, standing there, looking at them with scheming grins on their lips. It seemed they had overheard the conversation.

It wouldn't have been so bad if the man Sakura had been talking about hadn't been leaning against the door frame casually, dressed in his hunter-nin uniform, his onyx hair falling from a high pony tail across one shoulder, his arms crossed over his chest. His face didn't reveal any emotion and his piercing silver eyes were looking directly at her with an unfathomable expression.

'Kami-sama, HELP ME!' Sakura pleaded inside her mind. She could feel a fierce blush starting to creep from her cheeks to the roots of her hair.

It was officially the end of the world and there was nothing she could do to prevent her demise.

But she couldn't let her end come so swiftly, she refused to go down like this. For a few agonizing seconds, silence reigned inside the room and the pink haired girl thought she really was going to _die_.

But she hadn't been the Godaime's apprentice for many long years and she hadn't attained jounin level herself for nothing. Summoning her inner strength and the control that had allowed her to live through many life-threatening situations, Sakura did the only thing that could save her.

She threw her head back and laughed.

"Yes, we are Kiba," she said between chuckles. "Medic nins need to have fun from time to time too, don't you think?"

She hoped that her laughter had come out genuinely enough and she prayed that no one in the room had noticed how much she had forced it. It had been her only escape and if her strategy didn't work, she was going to be buried 6 feet under in a few moments. Seemingly they hadn't perceived anything and the tension that had filled the air a few seconds ago had been dispersed with the way she had made light of things.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura asked, not wanting Kiba to ask any more questions about what they had been previously talking about.

"Tsunade-sama said you guys needed to give us some check ups, so she sent us down here," the Dog Master answered with a grin.

"Well, it's a bit early for that since we've actually just divided your files between us but I guess we can manage," she said before turning towards her fellow medics. "Team, I want you to check which of you have files of the ANBU present here and give them priority. After you make sure that everything's in order, you can proceed with the check-ups."

And with that, Sakura started making her way towards the door, unaware that she was still clutching Neji's file in her hands.

"Sakura-san, what about you?" brown eyed Mikoto asked.

"There's some things I need to take care of first, I'll come back later," she said in the most authoritative voice she could manage. She simply _needed_ to get out of there and put some distance between herself and the ANBU Captain that was still leaning against the door frame, looking thoughtful. He hadn't said a word during all this time and Sakura simply wanted to disappear. She simply didn't have the courage to face him… at least not now.

Thus, when she had cleared the door and passed mere inches from where he was standing while avoiding his eyes at all times, she made her way hurriedly down the corridor. When she turned the corner and was out of sight, she bolted and fell into a run, trying to get away from the judging stare of those silver orbs.

Now, she was locked up in an office inside the Hokage's building and wanted to stay there for the rest of the day. She simply wouldn't be able to face him… she simply couldn't. She hoped against hope that he had taken it as a joke, just like all the others had and that he wouldn't think less of her for it.

After sitting in silent torment for almost 20 minutes, she breathed out deeply and leaned back against the chair, glancing at the folder in front of her. It really did her no good to worry… what was done, was done. If Neji was going to judge her for the things she had said, so be it… it had been her fault for letting her guard down and giving in to her weakness. She would have to face the consequences eventually and it would probably mean that their friendship would go down the drain.

She tried to swallow past the lump that suddenly formed in her throat at the thought and tried to disperse such depressive ideas from her mind. Mustering her resolve, the pink haired medic decided that she needed to concentrate on the job at hand and leaned forward to pick up the Hyuuga's file.

Due to her big mouth, she was now stuck with him for the remainder of her task and the least she could do was be professional about it. Thus, she leaned forward and started to go over the contents of the folder, making sure that everything was in order.

XXXXXXXXXX

Neji didn't need to activate his Byakugan to know when a shinobi was making a full retreat. It was as easy as reading the body language of a man, or a woman in this case, to know when they were running for their lives.

If the way Haruno Sakura had clutched the folder, _his_ folder, in her hands with a white-knuckled grip said anything, it was clear that she had been nothing short of using a smoke bomb to make her escape. This, in turn, spoke volumes against the casual way she had behaved concerning the conversation the ANBU members, including himself, had overheard and thus, it was only logical to conclude that the words she had uttered about giving him a 'personal' check up were _absolutely_ true.

If Neji had been any other man, he would have been laughing at the situation.

So _that's_ what she thought of him… how very interesting.

The Hyuuga prodigy had never been interested in women mainly because there were no females worthy of his time in the whole of Konoha. Most of them were brainless twits that threw themselves on the first handsome man to cross their path. They were incompetent and useless shinobi, fit only for the simplest of missions. Their incessant and annoying chatter was something he had had to put up with on countless missions in which he had been forced to include them on his team. It had driven him almost to the brink of madness and when he had become Captain, he had adamantly told the Hokage that he would _always_ choose his teams personally from then on.

In the whole village, he could count the kunoichi who were smart, competent and exceedingly skilled shinobi with the fingers of his hands.

Curiously enough, Haruno Sakura was one of them.

Any idiot with eyes would notice her beauty immediately, but Neji's silver orbs always managed to see beyond that. Along with Tenten, the pink haired medic was the only other female in the village who was capable of going head on against Lee in a taijutsu fight. He had seen her train with 'Konoha's Beautiful Green Beast' and had seen the way she combined her moves skilfully with the inhuman strength she possessed. Neji had seen her knock away the ground beneath Lee's feet, literally, and witnessed how she had forced him to use some of the techniques he reserved only for when he was fighting against the toughest of opponents. Not only was she a skilled fighter, but she had a keen intellect to match her combat ability and was said to have surpassed her sensei, the great Tsunade-sama herself, in many of the medical jutsus required of a medic nin.

All in all, Sakura was the embodiment of the _perfect_ kunoichi, a fact that hadn't gone unnoticed by the Hyuuga… or many other men for that matter. Even though she seemed to be completely oblivious to it, the pink haired medic had managed to leave a trail of admirers in her wake. Her sweet and compassionate personality naturally gave comfort and support to others, especially in her profession and the people around her simply couldn't help but care for her. Neji had overheard his team members have many conversations about her during missions and even though he had never joined in, he silently agreed with what they said about her.

Sakura was a jewel among Konoha's female ninjas and only a fool would waste an opportunity to be the object of her affection.

Hyuuga Neji was anything but a fool.

Even though he didn't show it, the ANBU Captain had felt a certain attraction towards the cherry haired kunoichi ever since their mission to Suna a few years back. They had helped save the Kazekage and his brother Kankurou from the clutches of death and the way Sakura had shown her true medic vocation had been something that had left Neji in awe. They had become good friends since then and the prodigy considered himself lucky to know her the way he did.

However, he had never really thought about pursuing the magnetism he felt for her any further, especially when everyone knew that Sakura had been deeply in love with Uchiha Sasuke. Neji had admitted his attraction towards her and had left it at that, giving priority to his ANBU tasks and his training, putting her in the back of his mind.

But her infatuation with the Uchiha had been _years_ ago and now, she had basically confessed in front of everyone that she was attracted to him. If that wasn't a direct invitation, Neji didn't know what was. The way she had admitted it had forced that deeply buried attraction he had kept aside to come to the fore and Neji was suddenly seeing things under a different light… under the light of possibility.

It was something worth thinking about especially when he really couldn't deny the fact that his eyes had a tendency to glace at her legs whenever she was in the room. Those boots she wore had a knack for attracting a man's attention.

He would definitely need to give this situation some keen deliberation.

Leaving his position at the door, he moved casually into the room, locating the nearest medic nin and making his way towards her.

"I assume you need my file to proceed with the check ups," he said to the young girl.

"Y-yes sir," Mikoto replied, blushing slightly at being addressed by Konoha's top ANBU Captain.

"I'll return later then, since I noticed that my folder has been involuntary abducted," he said wryly, slight humour in his voice.

Mikoto's blush intensified but she smiled in return.

Turning around, Neji walked out of the room and made his way to the building's entrance. The morning sun was shining and it was the perfect weather to get some training done with Tenten and Lee. Heading towards the exercise grounds he couldn't help a smile from forming on his lips as he allowed thoughts of a certain cherry haired kunoichi to fill his mind while he walked.

Oh yes, he would certainly be returning later for his promised check-up

XXXXXXXXXX

The world hadn't ended when she walked back into the room where her team was assembled and Sakura was more than happy to find that Neji wasn't anywhere to be seen. She could suddenly breathe again and after Mikoto had told her that the Captain had said he would return later, the pink haired medic decided that she would work as efficiently as possible so she could avoid him when he came in this afternoon.

She went over the files that had been assigned to her with unbelievable speed, making sure that all the necessary information was there and collecting the papers that were missing before proceeding with the next step of the task. In total, she needed to give medical check-ups to 10 ANBU, Neji included, and luckily enough, 5 of them had already been sent over by Tsunade-sama. Smiling at her good fortune, Sakura led the 3 men and 2 women down to the specialized infirmary of the Hokage's building and spent the early afternoon doing her medical examinations.

Once she was done, she gathered up the files and decided she would update them at home. Placing the 5 folders of the shinobi she had just assessed inside her satchel, she closed the door to the infirmary office she had been using and started walking down the hall.

_Why are you running away from him?_ Inner Sakura asked as she climbed the stairs that would lead to one of the side entrances of the building.

'I am _not_ running away,' she replied, 'I am making a strategic retreat.'

_I thought we had done _that_ this morning!_ Her inner persona complained.

Sakura groaned miserably at the memory. 'That was simply unavoidable.'

_No it wasn't. You could've looked him straight in the eye and backed up your words._

The pink haired medic almost choked at the thought of walking up to the Hyuuga and telling him that she wanted to get into his pants right in his face. Coughing loudly, she tried to recover but gained some strange looks from people walking by inside the building.

'Yeah, like **that** was an option! Are you insane?'

_No I'm not. He was looking directly at you… and there was something weird in his gaze._

'He was probably planning my execution!'

Inner Sakura rolled her eyes but remained silent after that.

The pink haired kunoichi reached the entrance by then and started walking down the street, wanting to reach the refuge of her apartment as soon as possible. It was clear that her inner persona was delusional and the idea of Neji actually looking at her with something apart from murder in his eyes was completely ludicrous. She had gone over the possibility of him reciprocating her feelings lots of times before and every time she did, she always came up with countless conclusions as to exactly why it simply _couldn't_ happen.

She refused to torture herself further by reminding her inner persona of all the reasons why the Captain _didn't_ think of her as anything else but a friend… and now, after the earlier events of the day, she wasn't even sure if he still considered her in that way anymore!

But as she made her way down the road, walking among the throng of people that always populated Konoha's streets, Sakura realized that maybe it had been for the best. If Neji decided to keep his distance and stay clear of her, she might be able to forget him and bury these useless feelings she had for him once and for all. Her infatuation had clearly been nothing else but a fantasy and it was time that she admitted that.

Sighing miserably, Sakura turned a corner and headed in the direction of her neighbourhood. She simply couldn't understand why her heart persisted in pursuing such feelings for men with which she simply never stood a chance. She guessed it was a conditioned reaction and something she simply could not stop.

'Well, I've gotten over worse,' she thought, trying to be positive. But try as she might, she couldn't help but drag her feet a little as she went along her way.

XXXXXXXXXX

When you joined ANBU, you were taught how to hunt. You were taught all kinds of pursuing techniques, all kinds of approaches that would weaken your adversary, physically and mentally, so that when the time came for you to engage them in that final combat, your victory was assured.

But before you did any of that, you needed to gain information… to know your enemy better than you knew yourself. His teachers had always told him to study his prey before hunting it down; to get to know their weaknesses, to know their strengths and to get to know their behaviour well before forcing a confrontation.

Neji had always excelled as a student and as such, he was applying _everything_ he had been taught to the hunt in which he found himself now.

Perched just below a rooftop and partially hidden by some hanging laundry, he studied the movements of his prey as she made her way casually down the market street below, stopping to talk to vendors more often than not. He noted the way she smiled and the way she moved her hands expressively when she talked. He also noticed the way she stood whenever the price of a product didn't suit her, biting her lip and creasing her eyebrows. But he also perceived the way she basically beamed whenever she found something she liked and how she had a tendency to stop at every jewellery stand she found, her emerald eyes alight with pleasure at the merchandize she saw.

He knew that if anyone caught him, they would certainly label him as a stalker and he would probably have some explaining to do. But he wasn't the best for nothing and he knew that even if someone were to catch him up here, partially hanging from a roof and perched upon someone else's balcony while hidden behind a white sheet, Neji was sure they wouldn't dare to ask what he was up to.

Questioning Konoha's top ANBU Captain about his personal business wasn't something anyone would do if they wanted to live.

Either way, Sakura had actually brought this upon herself and the Hyuuga prodigy was extremely happy with his planned methods of retaliation.

She had been avoiding him the past few days… something which had _annoyed _him to no end.

Neji had been thinking about her constantly and the more he thought about her, the more the latent attraction he had for her stirred. After reviewing the situation from every possible angle, he had decided that he really had nothing to lose. Thus, he had decided to play his game right and to throw his cards on the table just to see what Sakura would do with them. Depending on her reaction, he would work from there. He would give her the chance of making her decisions herself, respecting her integrity and allowing her make her own conclusions from the advances he was planning to throw her way.

With his mind made up, he had gone back to the Hokage's building three times to get his check-up since Tsunade-sama had told him that this task was top priority for the medic team under Sakura's supervision. Thus, he had been more than willing to cooperate and had actually been looking forward to meeting the cheery haired kunoichi head on. His hopes were hampered, however, when he walked into the infirmary and had been politely told that they couldn't proceed with his examination because his file was in Haruno-san's hands and unfortunately, she was nowhere to be found. One time, he could understand; twice, well, sometimes coincidences happened… but three times in a row? It was simply too much.

The Hyuuga prodigy had actually snapped at the medic nin that had sent him away the last time, even though he knew it wasn't her fault. Still, his annoyance at the supposed 'supervisor' of this task had quickly risen to the surface and what made matters worse was the fact that Neji knew that Sakura was avoiding him on purpose. He was aware of this knowledge because he knew that some of his ANBU comrades had already been examined by her and had updated their files successfully without any problems.

It seemed that Dr. Haruno was having _personal_ issues with him… it was definitely time to change his 'passive' strategy.

After he had calmed himself somewhat after some vigorous training, Neji became aware that she was obviously having issues with the admission she had previously made about her attraction towards him. From the way she was behaving the prodigy now knew that he would have to make some significant effort on his part.

Luckily, a plan was already forming inside his mind and nudging her forward was, in fact, something he could genuinely look forward to. He had many ANBU techniques up his sleeve which could make a grown man break under pressure and if this little pink haired medic thought she would be able to escape him, he would thoroughly enjoy himself in proving her wrong. The chance he had initially intended to give her of allowing her to make her decisions herself had been promptly flushed down the drain in view of the current circumstances.

There was usually more than one road to achieve a certain goal and well, if Haruno Sakura has inadvertently chosen the most difficult road for herself by behaving in the way she did, so be it. Neji had always been a patient man, which meant that he was usually merciless when it came to his tactics of retaliation. He was very adept at using a person's weakness against them and when it came to Sakura, he truly did have the upper hand. From what he had discerned from her words, he knew that his _body_ was her weak point and he had no qualms in using it against her.

As a matter of fact, he would greatly enjoy doing just that.

A cat-like grin formed on his lips as his silver eyes watched her walk down the street directly beneath him. The sooner he put his plans into actions, the better. Moving away from his initial position on silent feet, Neji descended from his vantage point and landed some distance away from where Sakura had stopped to buy some groceries. From the direction she was going, she would have no choice but to walk past him. He knew that if she spotted him, she would try to make a retreat and head in the opposite direction but he wasn't about to give her that chance. Hiding behind a food stand, the raven haired jounin waited patiently for her to approach, doing nothing to hide the predatory glint in his silver orbs.

No one _ever_ dared to avoid a Hyuuga… no one.

And Neji would make sure that Haruno Sakura learned that lesson well.

* * *

I'll put up the second part to this ASAP. Thanks for reading! 


	2. Part II

**A/N:** Alright, I bring news for you guys. In the process of writing this chapter I was unsuspectingly attacked by a horde of rampaging plot bunnies and thus, I was forced to extend this story to one more chapter. So you can call it a three-shot if you like, but I think that's taking the 'shots' a little too far. Hehe.

I just hope that none of you complain about me making this a little longer!

Thanks for your reviews and support, everyone. Writing this definitely wouldn't be the same without you! xD

This one goes out to my friend _fallingstr12204_, especially since she said she might draw me some fanart for this fic. (smiles innocently)

_Disfruten!_

* * *

**Part II**

Sakura was going out of her mind. She didn't know in what exact moment she had come to lose grasp of her sanity but she knew exactly _who_ was to blame for it. But the worst part was that whenever she tried to voice her aggravation, she would find herself at a dead end because in truth, he hadn't really done anything out of the ordinary and anyone witnessing the situations she had found herself in would have agreed that she was the one having problems.

But she knew different and the pink haired medic was certain that the damnable Hyuuga was doing it on purpose. The way he had been 'casually' bumping into her on the street, the way he would stand too close for comfort without actually touching her while they were talking, the way he half-smiled when he greeted her and when he said goodbye… they were little details that someone who wasn't acutely aware of every inch of the raven haired man wouldn't have noticed.

Unfortunately Sakura _was_ aware of him in such a way, maybe just a little too much, and thusly she simply couldn't ignore his heady smell of rain and forest, scent that would reach her nostrils when he was in close proximity, nor the way his muscles would flex whenever he crossed his arms in front of his chest in that arrogant manner of his. She found her heart hammering whenever he appeared out of nowhere and approached her, engaging her for a few minutes at a time before going on his way as if nothing had happened.

But the problem was that something _was_ happening and the pink haired kunoichi was starting to go slightly insane.

The first time she had bumped into him she had been doing her grocery shopping at the market and had basically jumped out of her skin when he was suddenly right in front of her, leaving her with no possible escape routes. Due to her previous and completely accidental confession, Sakura thought that he was either going to make some biting comment about the whole thing or tell her how completely stupid she was for acting so childishly. To her complete and utter surprise, he hadn't mentioned anything and had actually been more than civil towards her, behaving as if nothing had happened.

Sakura had been so relieved that he hadn't taken her comment seriously and that he hadn't let it affect their friendship, she broke into the first genuine smile in days. She had chatted amiably with him for a while and she actually regretted the way she had been avoiding him. Repenting on her behaviour, the pink haired kunoichi promised she would spend all day at the infirmary just in case he came in for his check-up. She knew he would probably have missions so it was inevitable for him to come in when he had the time.

They had parted ways agreeably and Sakura's steps felt lighter than ever. If that had been the only encounter they had shared, she wouldn't have suspected anything. As a matter of fact, she would've been completely content with it. But the initial conclusion she had come to about him staying clear of her due to her declaration of her attraction had backfired right in her face and suddenly, she was seeing more of the Hyuuga than she had in years.

If she didn't know better, she would've thought he was actively stalking her. She would suddenly find him training on the exercise grounds on her way to work, or buying food at a stand when she decided to go out for a walk, or sitting at the pub when they all went out for a drink… They were completely normal situations in which it was perfectly natural for him to be there, so she really didn't have any reason to complain. Except that she would catch a predatory glint in his silver eyes every so often that would send a chill of eager anticipation down her spine and the way he would grace her with a haughty smile whenever she made a humorous comment simply took her breath away.

This unexpected close contact with the ANBU Captain had thoroughly annihilated Sakura's initial attempts of burying her feelings for him. At first, she had tried to follow his example to put her idiotic confession behind her and be happy with the friendship he was offering her. But as the days passed, she found it more and more difficult to quell her reactions towards him, especially when he was suddenly in very close proximity. The pink haired kunoichi simply _couldn't_ get him out of her mind and she found herself unexpectedly craving for those little moments of close contact in which she would be the centre of his attention, even if it was just for a few minutes.

Hyuuga Neji was weaving a spell around her like if he was an experienced sorcerer and Sakura found she couldn't do anything to fight its effects. She was suddenly keenly attuned to the way he walked, like if he possessed the innate grace of a feline; she was intensely aware of the way his onyx coloured hair caught the light of the sun and reflected it in blue-black hues; she would find herself openly admiring the set of his shoulders whenever he walked away from her and she secretly wondered what it would be like to run her hands down the muscled contours of his back.

Such thoughts had been the cause of many sleepless nights and Sakura had concluded that if something didn't happen soon, she really was going to have to check in to a mental hospital. Before she knew it, 3 weeks had gone by and the tension she felt between them was increasing by the minute. She was so caught up in this whole situation that she had actually forgotten all about the medical examination she had pending with the Hyuuga prodigy.

As was usually the case, she was brought down from the clouds with a jolt by none other than her former sensei.

"Sakura, if you don't finish updating those medical files soon you're going to be on the receiving end of my fist," Tsunade-sama said to her with a sigh of resignation. If there was something her preceding pink haired student had inherited from her, it was the lack of interest in paperwork.

"Gomen nasai, Hokage-sama," she replied with a blush and a slight bow. "There's only 4 people left to examine and some of them are out on missions. I promise I'll get them done as soon as possible."

The Godaime looked slightly unconvinced but decided to refrain from torturing her favourite apprentice any further. "Just get it gone quickly, alright? I really need the information in those files so I can assign ANBU missions accordingly."

"Hai!" Sakura replied before turning and walking out of the office.

She was in for it now. Knowing she really had no good excuse for postponing Neji's check-up any further, she would definitely be forced to bring it up the next time they met. This was, in fact, the worst possible scenario ever because if she were to bring up the subject, then her previous screw-up concerning the 'personal' examination she had been looking forward to giving him would rise to the surface once more and this time, she wasn't so sure if he would let it slip so easily. Sakura could only pray for him to be professional about it and to agree to his check-up without a fuss.

Of course, that would mean it would be him and her alone in a small office in the infirmary while he sat there at her mercy while she examined his body thoroughly…

Sakura suddenly felt the urge to scream!

_This is going to be fun_ Inner Sakura interrupted while she fed her brain images of a compliant Neji under her evaluating hands.

'Shut up!' she replied inside her mind, trying very hard to ignore the way her body was igniting with the visions her inner persona was happily providing. 'This is the _last_ thing I need.'

_Well, you did say you wanted an up close and personal examination with him._

'Yes but when I said that, I didn't know my words were going to turn around and bite me in the ass!'

_Life has a funny way of turning out, doesn't it?_ Inner Sakura said amid wicked chuckles.

'Didn't I tell you to shut up?' the pink haired kunoichi countered in anger. To her surprise, her inner voice did just that but her darkly amused presence didn't disappear altogether.

She needed to clear her head and erase all traces of such lascivious thoughts from her mind if she was planning on talking to Neji about his medical check-up. When she did so, she couldn't afford for any of her emotions to filter through her face or else she would be done for. Thus, she decided that a meticulous workout was in order for her body to calm down enough for her to track down the Hyuuga and talk to him like the professional medic she was.

If she remembered correctly, Lee had mentioned something about taijutsu training with Tenten this afternoon. Nodding her head eagerly, Sakura decided that there would be nothing better to beat her body into submission than an exhausting exercise session with those two.

Making her way hurriedly towards the exit of the Hokage's building, she realized that it would be a good idea to jog towards the exercise grounds so that when she arrived, she wouldn't have to waste time warming up.

Her mind made up, she was suddenly very eager to get on with her taijutsu drill and made her way resolutely towards the training field where she knew she could find her unknowing workout partners.

XXXXXXXXXX

Neji moved without thinking, falling into state of instinctual reaction, his limbs flying in front of him by their own accord while he concentrated on the opponent in front of him. No thoughts diverted him from the task at hand; no distracting images flooded his brain as he fell into the familiar rhythm of his training, letting his body take over.

Hinata moved with the same precision, blocking his attack successfully and went on the offence as soon as his perfectly performed combo ended. Changing the approach of her juken slightly, she spun on her heel, jumping towards her older cousin as she aimed her hands towards his chest.

The onyx haired jounin blocked the attack easily and dodged the incoming kick Hinata had sent his way directly afterwards. He moved around her, trying to find an opening on her left side. Seeing it, he lounged his right hand forward, making it seem as if he was aiming a hit directly towards the side of her abdomen.

But Hinata saw through his bluff, having experienced such a move many times before, and moved her hand to block her right side, stopping the hidden attack of his left hand as it tried to hit her just below the shoulder.

They disengaged then, catching their breath for a few seconds just to jump into the fray again without hesitation.

They had been going at it for around an hour and were only half-way through their training session inside the clan complex. Neji had made it a habit to drill his juken with Hinata whenever he had the chance and it had suddenly developed into a sort of tradition between them. Having been able to put their family disputes behind them, both cousins had no qualms in becoming friends and actually enjoyed their training sessions together greatly.

At first, Hinata had been hard pushed to keep up with Neji, but as their drills progressed, her speed and accuracy increased at a rapid rate and soon, her older cousin had needed to give her his full attention if he wanted to avoid his chakra flow from being hampered. The ANBU Captain was actually proud of Hinata, and even though he didn't say so out loud, he let her know of his approval with his actions whenever they had the chance to train.

He had actually been looking forward to an extended training session with the Hyuuga heiress for some time now, since he really needed to clear his mind from the most recent events in his life. Neji's plan with Sakura had been working perfectly… a little too perfectly, in fact. The pink haired kunoichi's reactions had occurred just the way he had predicted but the only problem was that he hadn't counted on a single flaw… the effect his plan would have on _him_.

As Hinata launched another volley of attacks his way, the Captain defended himself on pure instinct, not aware of the way his mind has started to slowly drift away from the training grounds.

The more he studied Sakura and the more he came in close contact with her, the more he found himself attracted towards the woman. Neji had always prided himself on his control, be it mental or physical, but as the days passed and he continued with his retaliation he found himself approaching Sakura not because of his original intent, but because he genuinely wanted to. He simply wasn't able to overcome the sudden urge that overcame him to 'bump into her' and he found himself doing it more often than not. Thankfully, his mission schedule had not been too busy lately and he observed her whenever he had the chance. But when he did go out, leaving the village for missions that took him away for 2 days at the most, he found himself pushing his men harder than usual on the return trip home, thoughts of emerald eyes and bright cherry locks in his mind.

Being the brilliant student he had always been, the ANBU Captain had never expected to become completely enraptured with his object of study. He noticed all the small details, like the various tilts of all her different smiles, and it was a complete surprise to realize that his prodigious observation skills were actually turning against him. His attention to detail seemed to increase out of proportions with anything related to Haruno Sakura and he found himself filing away information he never he would have paid attention to before.

For example, he knew that when she brought her own lunch from home when she worked as the Hokage's assistant, she always went out in the middle of the afternoon to buy a cone of shaved iced, preferably lemon flavoured. He also knew that she alternated between her assistant job and her voluntary shifts at the hospital; if the Gondaime didn't have too much work for her, she would leave early and help out in the emergency unit. This, he also noticed, was her preferred occupation and from the way she emerged from the hospital, light on her feet and smiling, he knew she found great satisfaction when it came to helping people in need.

Thusly, before he knew it, he had become an expert connoisseur when it came to the pink haired kunoichi and even though he didn't speak to her for more than a few minutes at a time whenever he initiated an encounter with her, he found that he had come to know her better than anyone else.

This was precisely why he knew that his plan was working. He was so attuned to her likes and dislikes that he instantly noticed the way her breath would catch whenever he approached. He noticed the slightly nervous swirl of her chakra whenever he stood near when he spoke; never touching her but always close enough to make her conscious of his body next to hers. He was very aware of the way her emerald eyes would steal admiring glances at his ANBU tattoo and the way she would slant her head to the side in slight disappointment whenever he took his leave, as if unconsciously voicing her discontent at seeing him walk away.

Whenever he thought of all this, Neji simply couldn't control the reaction such knowledge would provoke in his body. He found his eyes lingering over her form more often than not when they spoke and the urge to reach out and touch her soft skin was something he needed to consciously control whenever he was in her presence. This brought about the recognition that his retaliation had actually backfired, and even though he didn't regret any of it, he sometimes wondered if he had actually taken it a step too far.

The Hyuuga prodigy had always considered himself a gentleman above all things. Being polite and respectful was part of the code of conduct that had been engraved into his being since he was very small and it had been a part of his education that he had always been grateful for. But in all honesty, he really couldn't say that the way he was behaving towards Sakura was gentlemanlike _at all_ and was, in fact, feeling slightly guilty with it.

After having analyzed the situation, as he was wont to do, he had come to the conclusion that his behaviour could be considered immature. He had basically let his annoyance at her conduct get the better of him and his wounded pride hadn't been able to accept the fact that the pink haired medic had been avoiding him on purpose. His self-importance had escalated to a whole new level and he had been, if he was completely honest, slightly put off by the fact that Sakura had gone back on her word about giving him a 'personal' medical check-up.

This had led him down paths he didn't know he was capable of walking and surprisingly, Neji found that he was enjoying himself while doing so. This however, didn't mean that his behaviour was acceptable, especially when all the codes of Hyuuga conduct were starting to collide with the actions he was taking. His clan had always been more than explicit when it came to stating the suitable ways in which a man could commence the courtship of a woman; it had to be direct and straightforward, for his intentions always needed to be clear, giving the woman the chance to accept him or reject him. On the other hand, this was exactly the _opposite_ of what he was doing with Sakura at the moment. He was being anything but direct.

The silver eyed prodigy really did not want to think about what his uncle would say if he were to realize that his nephew was involving an unwitting pink haired kunoichi in a game of – would he dare think it?...

_Seduction._

Hinata's palm connected directly with his abdomen, the force of the hit stealing the breath from his lungs. The raven haired jounin gritted his teeth at the pain, feeling his chakra flow slow slightly with the effects of her juken. He couldn't believe his thoughts had forced him to such distraction… and to think that he had actually been looking forward to training so he could escape them! This simply wouldn't do.

Recovering in mere seconds, he went on the offence, trying to make up for his mistake. But the damage had been done and he could clearly see the upward tilt of his cousin's mouth as she defended his attacks with ease. She was delighted with the way she had been able to pierce through his defences and Neji knew that this slight error from his part was going to cost him. Hinata would definitely not let him live with it for months.

In that moment, the Hyuuga wanted nothing more than to turn his head towards the sky and scream in frustration towards females in general.

"Hinata-sama," a young servant from the clan interrupted steadily, kneeling on the nearby veranda.

Both cousins disengaged immediately, stepping back.

"Yes?" the Hyuuga heiress responded softly.

"I'm sorry to barge in but Kurenai-san is looking for you. She requests your presence without delay. I think it's about a mission."

"Thank you, I will go see her right away," Hinata responded before turning towards the man in front of her. "My apologies Neji-kun, it seems I won't be able to finish our session."

"Duty calls," he told her with a half-smile. "We'll finish another time."

The silver eyed kunoichi nodded and gave him the most mischievous smile he had ever seen on her shy face. "Yes, perhaps when you're not so immersed in your thoughts."

Neji's eyes narrowed, his smile disappearing completely but before he could make a suitable retort, Hinata was heading towards the house, her shoulders shaking slightly with her silent giggles.

The onyx haired jounin willed himself to be patient and tried to bring his sudden irritation under control. This situation was getting out of hand and he definitely needed that extra hour of training he had initially planned to spend with his cousin. Thus, he needed to find another exercise partner and fast.

Remembering that Tenten had told him she would be drilling taijutsu with Lee, Neji didn't think twice before heading out of the Hyuuga complex and making his way towards the training grounds where he would find his previous team mates.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sakura lay down on the grass under the shadow of a nearby tree, panting heavily while sweat covered her entire body. She had taken her gloves off and had placed them down beside her, flexing her fingers in an attempt to bring some feeling into her previously chakra-enhanced appendages. Tenten could be found in a similar position nearby, an arm resting above her forehead as she tried to catch her breath. Both kunoichi had given each other a run for their money and even though they had taken breaks by engaging alternatively with Lee, they could safely say that this had been the most thorough workout they had had in a while.

"We should definitely train together more often, Sakura," the Weapon's Master said with a smile between breaths.

"Yes, we should," the pink haired medic replied with a chuckle, her breathing laboured as well. "But I don't think we should include Lee. Look at him, he's still going!"

"Tell me about it," Tenten said with a groan, turning her head so she could look at the aforementioned jounin standing nearby.

Konoha's Beautiful Green Beast was practicing his katas by himself now. Having removed his shirt a while ago, he was clad solely in his olive trousers and ninja sandals. He looked as if he had just started his training session and the hour and a half he had just spent drilling with the two kunoichi seemed not to have affected him in the least.

"Where _does_ he get his stamina?" Sakura asked in wonderment for the umpteenth time since she had known Lee.

"Training with Gai-sensei does that to you if you let him get to you," Tenten replied with a laugh.

The pink haired medic silently agreed, clearly remembering to what lengths Lee had gone to perfect his taijutsu with his sensei.

She closed her eyes for a moment, concentrating on trying to bring her breathing back to normal. Regulating the flow of chakra through her body, Sakura was successfully managed to slow her heart rate somewhat, relaxing her overly taxed muscles in the process. She was relishing in the moment of relaxation that can only be achieved after strenuous exercise when she heard a familiar baritone voice.

"It seems you ran out of partners, Lee," he said, making the hairs on her arms stand on end with the slightly humorous tone he was using.

"YOSH!" Konoha's Beautiful Green Beast answered with too much enthusiasm. "My long time rival has arrived!"

"Good to see you could make it!" Tenten exclaimed happily as she lifted her head to look at her friend. "I thought you were training with Hinata today."

"I was," Neji replied calmly, "but we had to cut our session short. So I came looking for you."

The pink haired kunoichi sat up then, emerald eyes locking on the form of the tall Hyuuga some distance away. But as soon as her gaze fell on him, her mouth threatened to fall open with the unexpected sight. The ANBU Captain was actually taking off his shirt to be on equal grounds with Lee. He folded the garment neatly upon the ground and stepped up to his training partner, who was by now assuming a defensive taijutsu stance. But as he walked, Neji sent a molten silver glance Sakura's way and nodded his head briefly in acknowledgment. It only lasted a second but the pink haired kunoichi was certain that he could've set a rock on fire with that look.

Not to mention her body.

Biting her lip nervously, Sakura couldn't help but openly gape at Neji's abdominal muscles when he walked up to Lee and when both men engaged in combat a few seconds later, she was sure that the way his toned arms contracted with his movements had to be illegal. But of course, that was nothing when he suddenly turned to evade a punch from Lee and gave her a full view of his amazingly defined back. Green orbs lowered by their own accord and ogled his rear for just a moment, inner Sakura giggling in glee with the vision in front of her.

The pink haired medic swallowed visibly and try was she might, she simply couldn't pull her eyes away. Her mind was suddenly blank and all she could feel was the inevitable heat that was suddenly washing through her blood.

Luckily, she didn't catch the sly glance Tenten was sending her way, a knowing smile on her face. The Weapon's Master refrained from saying anything though and graced Neji with a similar look, her quick mind darting back and forth, drawing her own conclusions.

As the ANBU Captain danced around the training field, dodging and delivering hits, he couldn't help but wonder at the workings of the world. Things couldn't have worked out better if he had planned them and finding Sakura training with his previous team mates had been a quite a surprise for him. He suddenly grasped the opportunity to show off his body to her and take his retaliation up a notch, knowing the precise effect this would have on the pink haired kunoichi. Suddenly, all his previous feelings of guilt about his behaviour dispersed entirely, his reserve vanishing completely with her mere presence.

But as he engaged Lee in an intense taijutsu drill, Neji's perspective started to shift… started to blend into something darker, something more primal. He suddenly wanted to show the woman some distance away why he was considered one of the best… to show her what he was capable of. He wanted her to know that he was the finest shinobi in the village and why he was, amongst all others, the most worthy of her attention.

The effect she had on him simply could not be denied and he found himself wondering where all this had come from. Inexplicably, he didn't feel the need to fight these instinctive urges and actually surrendered himself to them as he continued to move with impressive speed.

Lee obviously noticed the change in his combat approach and smiled widely. "Yosh, so you want to get serious today? I'll show you the power of my youth!"

The Taijutsu Specialist increased his pace, forcing the Hyuuga prodigy to pick up his speed if he wanted to keep up. Neji growled low in his throat as he did just that, sending blow after blow in rapid succession, his movements a complete blur.

On the ground some paces away, Sakura couldn't help but gawk openly. The speed with which the two combatants were fighting was simply breathtaking and if she wasn't experiencing it first hand, she never would have believed it was possibly to move at such speeds. She knew Lee was fast, there had never been no doubt about that, but the way Neji was easily keeping up with him had caught Sakura off-guard and was causing a strange feeling to surge inside her chest.

What _would_ it be like to be in his arms for a night? Would he give the woman he cherished the same dedication as he did his profession? Hyuuga Neji was said to be Konoha's top ANBU Captain… but how _did_ he measure up as a lover?

The pink haired kunoichi suddenly felt a chill run up her back that had nothing to do with the day's weather. Suddenly, she wasn't so sure if she wanted to know the answers to these questions and she remembered the classic example of the moth being attracted to the flame, realizing its demise until it was entirely too late.

They continued their drill for some time, each fighter concentrating solely on the movements of his opponent. They couldn't keep it up for too long however, since the previous workouts they had both participated in started to take their toll. Their movements started to slow down until eventually, they disengaged altogether and jumped backwards, breathing hard.

Sakura did _not_ want to acknowledge the alternate images of a panting and sweaty Neji that her inner persona was sending her way and thus, when both men started making their way towards the sitting kunoichi, she stood up abruptly.

The sudden movement brought on a sudden head rush and she stumbled forward slightly, unsure on her feet. But as her vision darkened, she felt a steady hand grasp her arm, keeping her upright. Sight returning almost immediately, emerald eyes gazed up towards the owner of the appendage holding her, only to find a _shirtless_ Hyuuga prodigy standing before her, his face a hairsbreadth away from hers.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concern in his voice.

Sakura stepped back as if he had some kind of infectious disease, forcing him to relent his grasp on her. "I'm fine," she answered somewhat curtly.

Neji simply grinned smugly at her.

But before anyone else could say anything, Sakura was already speaking. "I really have to go, guys. Tenten, Lee, thanks for the great workout session. Hopefully with can do it again sometime soon," she told them with a smile.

With that, she turned around and started walking away, not waiting for their answer and completely forgetting the promise she had made of addressing the onyx haired jounin about his pending medical check-up. The only thing on her mind was the need to put some distance between herself and the smouldering Captain in an attempt to keep her sanity.

"Bye Sakura! See you soon!" Lee shouted enthusiastically as she strolled at a quick pace in the direction of her apartment. He stood there waving at her as he stared at her receding back.

But as Konoha's Beautiful Green Beast was distracted with his farewell, Tenten stepped up to Neji and grabbed his wrist with a little too much force. "Hyuuga," she said sternly, "you are an _evil_ man."

Silver eyes widened at her statement but he acted nonchalantly. "What are you talking about?"

"You know _exactly_ what I am talking about," the Weapon's Master replied, as if already expecting his denial. "You're going to kill that poor girl."

Impossibly, his eyes showed even more shock at her words. Was he being so _obvious_?

"Listen," Tenten said, lowering her voice so that Lee wouldn't hear anything, "from the way she behaved just now, it's evident that she likes you... _a lot_. I've known you all my life and I know that you're aware of it as well. The way you were flaunting in front of her just now, it would've brought a lesser woman to her knees!"

Neji stood quiet, taking in her words as if he'd been slapped. Trust Tenten to punch him in the face and bring him back down to reality with a violent jolt.

"Here," the brown haired kunoichi said, leaning down and picking up the gloves Sakura had forgotten in her hurry to leave. "Give these back to her and prove to her that you're not just a tease…"

He looked down at the black gloves in his hands, as if considering them under a whole new light.

"…because if you don't," Tenten continued, "_I'm_ going to kick your ass personally if you hurt her."

Gazing up at her then, it took just a second to realize that his friend was dead serious.

Neji nodded solemnly, the guilt he had been feeling earlier in the day returning tenfold. He really was behaving like a rutting peacock and if he didn't translate his behaviour into something serious soon, Sakura would misunderstand his intentions entirely. It was time to make up his mind, to put an end to his immature scheming and to behave like the gentleman he was.

The memory of Sakura's smile and shining emerald eyes whenever he approached her for a casual talk was all he needed to push him forward.

"Thank you," he said, turning grateful eyes to his brown haired friend. It was really amazing how she could understand him without him having to tell her anything. She truly was the sister he never had.

"You're welcome," she replied with a wink, turning towards Lee then. "Let's go get showered, you sweaty pig. You definitely need it!" she yelled, pushing the Taijutsu Specialist forward with a well-aimed kick in the rear. He immediately complained loudly that he wasn't smelly but didn't deny that a he would welcome a cold shower.

Neji watched them leave with a grin on his face before turning in the direction of his clan complex, picking up his shirt on the way. A shower really sounded like a good thing, especially since it wouldn't do to go after Sakura while he was dirty and covered in sweat. He would show her exactly what he had to offer her and to do that, he needed to look his best.

Thus, as he walked, he went over all the etiquette he had been taught as a child about how to treat a lady. Even though many of the things he had learned were extremely old fashioned to be applied to this day and age, he knew he would be able to improvise and come up with some decorum of his own making…

Since he was famous for breaking Hyuuga traditions and going against the established norm, he knew he wouldn't have any problems bending the rules slightly.

* * *

YOSH!! There you have it. I'm really enjoying while writing Neji… it's a welcome break from my favourite moody Kazekage. xD

I'll update soon, promise!


	3. Part III

And this story's done!

Sorry for the delay but my muse's been a bitch lately.

* * *

**Part III**

Even though she had heard her male friends speak of the necessity of getting a cold shower when it came to calm down their bodies' urges, Sakura had never known exactly what it felt to really _need_ one.

At least, up until now.

Turning the water just a little bit hotter, she sighed in resignation as she let the lukewarm liquid wash across her back. The cold water had helped her greatly, banishing all the jumbled thoughts that had been plaguing her mind as she made her way back to her apartment after training. Images of Neji's torso as he fought with Lee and the graceful way his body moved had been eagerly provided by her inner persona and the pink haired kunoichi had fought the onslaught as best as she could. It had taken all of her willpower not to turn around and throw herself on the Hyuuga right then and there.

_But you wanted to do just that, didn't you?_ Inner Sakura pipped in.

'I told you a while ago to **shut up**!' she replied inside her mind.

_I don't know why you hide it. You've felt attracted to him for some time now! You really should just go on and voice your attraction._

'I did say it, don't you remember? It was the blunder of the century!'

Her inner voice let out a dark chuckle. _I'm afraid that doesn't count_.

'Yes it does! He was there… he heard it all!' Sakura groaned out loud, leaning her forehead against the cold tiles of her shower wall.

_You know how dense men are. You need to say it to their face or else they won't get it._

The thought of walking up to Neji and voicing her feelings was enough to make her heart start beating frantically and for her throat to start closing involuntarily. She'd had enough experiences of voicing her feelings for men… well, in fact she'd only had one experience, but it had been bad enough. She'd ended up spending the night unconscious on a bench while the man she loved walked out of her life forever.

She was _never_ going to go through that again.

_So you're just going to ogle and gape at the Hyuuga whenever you see him instead of doing anything?_

'I've already been doing it for a while so it doesn't make a difference if I keep it up,' she replied sternly.

She could tell that her inner persona wasn't happy with that and before she could harden her resolve, she was bombarded by visions of a panting Neji, skin glistened with sweat while his silver eyes burned with desire.

Sakura turned the water down to the coldest it would go.

Her teeth started rattling after a few minutes and she was forced to turn off the shower in order to avoid a case of hypothermia. But she thought that suffering from the cold was worth the effort, especially when all the previous images of the prodigious Hyuuga were completely banished as her body went numb.

She guessed this sort of shock therapy was something positive. If her body learned to realize that every time it responded to the mental images of the ANBU Captain it would have to suffer the pain of a freezing shower spray, then maybe it would stop doing it altogether.

_And you tell me I'm the one who's crazy_ Inner Sakura interrupted.

Patting herself dry quickly, the pink haired kunoichi wrapped herself in the towel and proceeded to walk out of the bathroom. Her cherry locks were still dripping with cold water but as she walked into her bedroom, she found that the late afternoon sun was shining through the window and day was warmer than she had expected. She sat down on the floor, directly beneath the patch of sunlight and allowed the golden rays to warm her up.

Letting the heat spread through her body, she forced her muscles to relax. She had been tense ever since she had walked away from the training grounds and it was about time that she unwound at least a little bit. Pulling her knees underneath her chin, she wrapped her arms around her legs and started breathing deeply, forcing the anxiety from her limbs.

She managed to keep it up for a while, enjoying the serenity that suddenly overcame her, but as the minutes passed, a sudden realization ran through her like electricity and she lifted her head up with a jolt.

She had forgotten to talk to Neji about his medical check up.

Dammit! How could she have been so stupid?

_That just gives you an excuse to see him again!_

'Shut up!' she exclaimed at her inner persona, completely serious.

Tsunade-shishou had asked her to hurry up with the updates of the ANBU archives and she had been neglecting her duty long enough. She really shouldn't let something as stupid as physical attraction to get in the way of her work and she berated herself silently for letting herself be distracted in such a way.

She was one of Konoha's top medic nins… she really should know better.

Hardening her resolve, Sakura stood up and walked up to her closet. She picked one of her most used outfits, red sleeveless shirt and black shorts, throwing the clothes on quickly. She hoped she would be able to get to the Hyuuga Clan residence quickly and get this whole business over with. Even if Neji wasn't home, she was sure someone would be able to tell her where to find him.

She combed her damp her back and tied her headband in place as she made her way downstairs, trying to locate her sandals among the living room. She found them next to the couch, where she had thrown them when she had come in desperate for a shower. Putting them on, she grabbed her keys and tied her shuriken pouch around her waist, intent on leaving immediately.

She opened the door and stepped out, thinking of the quickest route she could take to reach the Hyuuga estate…

…and came face to face with precisely the raven haired man she was in such a hurry to see.

His hand was extended in mid air, as if he had been about to knock on her door the moment she had opened it.

Sakura froze, green eyes wide with surprise. His black locks were damp, just like her own, evidence enough that he had just taken a shower. Neji was wearing one of the white long sleeved shirts he used to wear before he had become a jounin and she was suddenly reminded of their mission to Suna all those years ago.

Even though she had never said anything out loud, she had thought he had looked extremely handsome back then and it was that mission that had sparked her interest in him.

Startled silver stared into shocked emerald, neither of them saying anything as they stood there on the threshold of Sakura's door.

It was then that a soft breeze blew towards them and Neji felt it at its back, as if the wind itself was telling him to walk forward… to walk into her house and into her life.

As the cool wind reached her, the pink haired girl was immersed in the Hyuuga Captain's fresh smell. The scent of rain and forest was almost intoxicating and she vaguely wondered if it was the soap he used that made him smell so alluringly.

Neji would've been content to stare at her all day but he suddenly remembered his manners.

"I came to return these," he said after clearing his throat, lifting the black gloves he was holding in his hand.

Sakura blinked a couple of times, as if coming out of a daze. "Ohhh, my gloves! I hadn't realized I had left them."

"Well, you did leave in a hurry," he commented amiably and relished in the blush of her cheeks as she took the gloves from his hand.

"Thank you," she said, making no attempt to offer an explanation for her previous behaviour.

"I see you're going somewhere," he said, having decided to walk her to wherever she was going. He had a goal to achieve this afternoon and nothing or no one would get in his way.

"Funny you should say that," she replied, her lips turning up in a shy smile.

The ANBU Captain couldn't help but wonder at how beautiful she looked when she acted timidly. It was a complete contrast to the powerful and outgoing kunoichi he was used to and it was amazing to see how she had no qualms about showing her vulnerable side to others. It was as if she was even sure of her weaknesses. In that moment, he promised he would do anything in his power to protect that susceptible side she was showing him and would annihilate anything that might endanger her in any way.

"I was actually on my way to look for you," Sakura said, chuckling slightly in embarrassment.

The Hyuuga raised an elegant eyebrow in question and boldly took a step forward. "You were? And why would you go looking for me?"

It was an innocent enough question, but the way his deep voice rumbled as he spoke gave it a much deeper meaning. And he was doing it again! His close physical presence was starting to drive her senses insane. If she lifted her hand, she would be able to touch him but he always kept far enough away to prevent direct contact if they simply stood there.

And his scent… Kami-sama, his masculine and exhilarating scent!

'You're a trained medic nin, damn it!' Sakura shouted inside her mind.

"I was actually going to look for you so we can set an appointment for your check up," she finally answered, forcing her face into a calm mask. Thankfully, her voice gave nothing away and she was proud of herself for sounding so professional.

"I see," Neji said but made no move to put any distance between them. "When would you be able to see me?"

"Well, I really need to get it to it as soon as possible since it's urgent for the archives to be updated."

"You give me a time and I'll be there," the raven haired ANBU replied, compliant when it came to fulfilling his duty as a shinobi.

"I'm not doing anything right now," Sakura basically blurted out.

The grin he gave her was completely and utterly sinful. "I'm afraid I might have a problem with that," he told her.

"Oh, do you have other plans?" she asked, clearly disappointed that she wouldn't be able to get this task over with.

"As I matter of fact, I do," Neji replied. "You see, I was planning on taking you out for a cone of shaved ice. I saw the vendor down the street on my way over here," he finished, lifting his hand to point in the direction he had come.

Sakura almost choked at his statement and she ended up coughing slightly.

He was planning to do what?

She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.

"What do you say?" he asked, that gleaming smile on his lips.

"Well, I really need to get this done…" Sakura replied, slightly confused.

"There were lemon flavoured cones," Neji told her innocently. He really didn't like to use her weaknesses against her, but given the circumstances, it was simply too tempting.

The pink haired medic couldn't believe what she was hearing. Here was Hyuuga Neji, Konoha's top and most responsible ANBU Captain, talking her out of performing her duties so she could slip away and enjoy a lemon flavoured cone (her favourite!) in his company.

It was completely and utterly ludicrous… but it was happening right in front of her eyes.

A smile crept its way to her lips when she finally realized something. He was asking her out on a date. It was a small, casual date, but a date nonetheless. And to think that a man who had been exuding so much testosterone a minute ago could be so intent on giving a girl a shaved ice treat.

The pink haired medic stifled a giggle. "I would love to," she finally answered, giving in.

"Good," Neji replied, his silver eyes shining. "If we hurry up, I think we can catch him before the children from the next neighbourhood begin their attack."

Sakura laughed out loud as she locked the door of her apartment after stepping out. "Is that the type of training you receive when you become ANBU?"

"Of course," he replied, humour in his voice. "You always need to stay one step ahead of your enemies."

"And children are enemies?" she asked, falling into step beside him as they started walking in the direction of the vendor.

"When it comes to shaved ice and ice cream they are," the Hyuuga prodigy said, feigning seriousness.

"If you use your byakugan on a five year old, the Godaime will have your head," Sakura replied.

They're mingled laughter echoed all the way down the street.

XXXXXXXXXX

As she sat there on a bench near the edge of one of Konoha's green areas, Sakura idly wondered if she had slipped away into a world of illusions and daydreams. As much as she tried to put things together into a semblance of order, her brain simply couldn't reconcile the events she had recently experienced with the preconceptions she had harboured throughout her whole life towards the raven haired nin sitting next to her.

He was smiling… he was smiling like if he were just a little boy.

Hyuuga Neji, prodigious jounin and Captain, was grinning happily. He'd been doing so all through their encounter and the more he graced her with his alluring smile, the less she could pry her eyes away from it.

She'd always remember the first time she ever saw him, just before their first chuunin exam so long ago. He had been a perfect example of seriousness and professionalism, even at such a young age. His handsome looks hadn't gone unnoticed back then and Sakura had felt genuine concern for him when his family history had been revealed.

Things had changed significantly since those days, all thanks to Naruto, but even though Neji had opened up to others a great deal, he'd always had this reserve about him… a distance he placed between him and anyone who tried to get near him. He'd be polite and friendly but you'd never be able to get pass the threshold of his self-imposed guard if he didn't want you to.

And now, lo and behold! She was sitting next to him on a park bench, enjoying a shaved ice treat together while they amiably relished in each other's company. Suddenly, the events of the few past days were suddenly making sense to the pink haired medic and she berated herself for being so absorbed in her own denial to notice the way that Neji had been edging his way closer and closer to her.

As shocking as it may seem, he was inviting her to cross the barrier of the defensive armour he had created around himself willingly. It was a realization that slapped her right in the face and she was glad that she could feign interest in her cone to hide the flurry of thoughts running through her mind.

Sakura had been so caught up in her own issues that she had never really contemplated the possibility of having an actual relationship with the Hyuuga. Sure, she'd day-dreamed and wished but she never really expected it to go beyond that. Having spent so long trying to hide her feelings, the pink haired kunoichi almost missed the opening in Neji's demeanour, even when he had displayed it right before her eyes.

She would be ten kinds of fool is she didn't take this opportunity for what it was: a chance to fulfil the desires she'd had for months.

_You need to make up for it, baka!_ Inner Sakura said as she nodded fervently. _Only a moron would miss his signals!_

Inwardly, the pink haired medic pouted at the insult but knew that her inner persona was right. She really did need to make it up to him for being such a dense idiot and for almost giving in to her apprehension. All the nervousness she had felt before was slowly dissipating since she now knew that her feelings were far from one sided… all she needed to do now was take the plunge.

And the knowledge that Neji would be there to catch her when she fell was enough to send a thrill of anticipation across her skin.

Sakura finished her cone with a satisfied moan, not missing the way silver Hyuuga eyes widened momentarily at the sound. Smiling mischievously and filing away that reaction for future reference, she edged her way closer to him on the bench until their legs were touching.

"Thank you Neji, that was delicious," she said, looking up at his face.

"You're very welcome," he replied as he gulped down the last of his own shaved ice cone. The slight flush that appeared on his cheeks at finding her so close was terribly endearing. But he composed himself in record timing and turned his intense eyes to look directly at her, no hesitation in his gaze. "I'd heard you were particularly fond of shaved ice cones."

"You heard right then," she said, still smiling. "It's one of my weaknesses."

"Hn," the raven haired jounin replied, leaning in towards her. He simply couldn't help but want to be as close as possible when it came to her. "I wonder what other weaknesses you may be hiding then."

Sakura chuckled at his comment, her voice a whisper as she leaned in his direction in return, their shoulders brushing. "I'm afraid a girl guards her secrets well… you're going to have to make an effort to find out."

The shameless grin he flashed her way made Sakura's knees weak for a moment and she was glad that she was sitting down.

"And what makes you think I won't enjoy that? Besides you forget a small detail: ANBU Captains are _highly_ skilled when it comes to gathering information," he said.

She laughed openly at that, betraying only a small part of the nervous expectation that was suddenly engulfing her. "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten that," she said. "However, I _have_ heard that a Captain's skills can sometimes be overrated."

Neji raised an eyebrow at that, silver fire shining from his eyes. "I'm afraid that statement is far from being correct."

"Is that so?" Sakura asked. They noses were barely touching now and she could feel his breath on her lips. "Are you going to prove me wrong?"

"I most certainly am," Konoha's top ANBU Captain stated, pride and arrogance in his voice.

He closed the gap between them then, letting his lips brush against hers softly, as if asking for permission. Never let it be said that Hyuuga Neji had kissed a girl without her consent. He tasted her answer a moment later as Sakura pressed her lips more firmly against his and swept her tongue softly across them. The Captain found his hand moving of its own accord as it made its way up her arm, caressing her gently, until he brought his fingertips to her cheek and held them there.

Sakura felt the goose bumps on her skin as his long fingers made their quick journey and a shudder of anticipation ran through her at the thought of what other kinds of caresses he was capable of giving. But her mind was brought back to the moment when she felt his tongue come out to meet hers and she tasted the orange flavour of the shaved ice cone he had been eating a moment ago.

Their kiss was gentle and sweet, not at all rushed or urgent. Of course, that didn't mean that it wasn't breathtaking. Neji's smell was once again sending Sakura's senses into overdrive and she thought that if she didn't tangle her hands in his hair soon, she would simply go insane.

But the onyx haired jounin had other things planned. Despite the fact that he wanted their kiss to deepen and for it to lead them wherever they wished to go, Neji was aware that it wasn't very gentleman-like to let it take place in the middle of the street. He didn't want strangers or known passer-by's to stick their noses where they weren't welcome and he wanted their first kiss to have at least some semblance of privacy. Especially with everything he intended to do afterwards.

Thus, in an amazing display of Hyuuga control, he broke their kiss and leaned back somewhat. The presence of people walking past and of children playing nearby suddenly tumbled into his awareness; he'd been so utterly lost in the feel of Sakura's lips that he'd completely forgotten about them. He made a mental note of that and he decided that he would need further training to avoid it happening again. It wouldn't do for someone, friend or foe, to sneak up on him when he was involved in this kind of pleasant activity. This, however, meant that he needed to practice kissing his pink haired love interest a _whole_ lot more.

She was looking at him with slight confusion in her emerald eyes, as if she didn't understand why he had broken their contact. The slight flush of her cheeks let him know in no small terms that she had been enjoying their kiss as much as he had and he felt a momentary pang of guilt for bringing her pleasure to an end. He would simply have to make it up to her.

Bringing his fingers up to her hair, he brushed a stray lock of cherry hair away from her face as his other hand grasped her own on the bench. Neji brought it up to his lips and brushed his lips across her knuckles, kissing them softly before turning up towards her once more.

"You mentioned something about my medical check up earlier," he said casually… a little too casually at that. His shameless grin returned tenfold. "I think I might have some time for that now."

Sakura blinked away the cloud of contentment that had suddenly descended upon her with the after effects of his kiss and it took her a moment to comprehend what he was saying. But once she did, she matched his grin with a devious smile of her own and she chuckled at his unexpected, but welcome, forwardness.

"Of course. As a medic nin, my patients' needs always come first," she told him roguishly. "Where would you like to have your examination, Hyuuga-_san_?"

He raised his eyebrows at that and he leaned closer before speaking. "Well, your apartment _is_ only a couple of blocks away."

She had to laugh out loud at that. "It is indeed," she told him and threaded her fingers through his as she stood up.

Neji followed her lead quickly and stood up in one fluid movement. Squeezing her hand tighter, he started walking back towards her home, Sakura at his side. In all honestly, he truly didn't care what the people around them thought when they watched them walk together down the street, hand in hand. It was actually good for them to find out really… it was good for them to realize that Hyuuga Neji had made his claim.

The walk back didn't take more than five minutes and when every step brought them closer to her door, Sakura couldn't help but shiver in excitement at the thought of what might happen once they were safely inside her apartment. Judging by his reactions, she had realized that Neji had kept their interactions to a polite level and she knew that he was actually holding back for the sake of propriety. She knew he had most likely ended their kiss for her sake and to prevent the gossip of their interaction from spreading like wildfire.

He didn't know, however, that if it had been up to her, Sakura would've straddled his hips while he sat on that bench right then and there, other people's opinions be damned. It seemed that she was going to have to teach him to loosen up a bit but she knew it would be difficult… especially with all that Hyuuga protocol that had been engraved into his skull. Nonetheless, she knew there was hope since the way he was behaving wasn't what one would call appropriate 'Hyuuga Clan behaviour' and if he already had a tendency to bend the rules, Sakura knew that a few pushes in the right direction would be extremely effective.

They reached her door and Sakura opened it for him, letting him go in first. Her theories of him holding back proved correct, in fact, when Neji pinned her against the door when she closed it behind her, his hands on either side of her head. He lowered his face to hers but refrained from kissing her just yet, letting his breath dance across her cheeks as he moved his mouth over her skin, barely touching her.

Sakura turned her head, trying to reach for his lips but he didn't allow it. He brought down one of his hands to her chin and held her there gently as he leaned in even closer and took her earlobe between his teeth. His breath in her ear sent a jolt throughout the pink haired kunoichi's body and she could feel the heat starting to pool low in her belly even with such a simply gesture from his part.

This man was going to be the end of her.

He released her earlobe only to lick his way down her throat, leaving a hot trail with his sinful tongue. Sakura could only imagine what it would feel like to have his burning mouth give its attention to other more sensitive places and she let out a low moan as Neji found the spot where her neck met her shoulder and suckled her skin gently.

She tangled her hands in his hair then, relishing in the feel of the black silk between her fingers as she untied his high pony tail and let his locks fall down upon his back. He pulled up then and the hand he had on her chin lifted her face up towards him as he finally lowered his mouth over hers.

And it was then that she realized how much she had needed it.

This was nothing like the kiss they had shared before. It was hot, pressing and needy. As Neji's tongue slipped between her lips, Sakura welcomed him like rain after a drought. His taste, his velvet softness as he brushed against her own tongue and explored her mouth thoroughly, made her knead her fingers even further into his hair, pulling him down towards her in an attempt to bring him impossibly closer.

It seemed that the ANBU Captain shared her desires and he brought down his left arm to wrap it around her waist, drawing her away from the door and up against him. Sakura could feel the toned muscles of his body through her clothing and she could do nothing but mewl in satisfaction as he brought his other hand down her side and under her shirt, his palm sliding over her bellybutton.

When his hand met her hot skin, Sakura couldn't help but arch her back in his embrace and he moaned approvingly as he continued to kiss her senseless. Neji moved his hand ever so slowly up and down her abdomen, making Sakura shiver with every pass of his fingertips. He continued to do so for what seemed like forever to her suddenly muddled brain but abruptly, she was bereft of his contact as he pulled away gently.

She voiced her complaint with a pout and a low whimper in the back of her throat but he simply smiled down at her, silver eyes smouldering as he took in her dishevelled appearance.

"You seem to be forgetting something," he told her deviously.

"What?" she asked, blinking several times in an attempt to regain her focus.

Neji pulled away from her then and walked into her living room, surveying his surroundings as if he were in no hurry. Sakura could only watch, completely mesmerized, at the way he moved with the grace of a cat, his hair a black river trailing behind him.

"Well, aren't you supposed to give me a medical examination?"

"Yes," Sakura replied, still standing by the door, her skin craving the contact he had taken away. "So?"

"Isn't the examinee supposed to take his clothes off for that?"

The pink haired kunoichi was about to voice something but her words were forever lost when Neji proceeded to take his shirt off in a single flowing movement. From one moment to the next he was standing, half naked, in the middle of Sakura's sitting room, loose hair cascading over his shoulders.

Sakura could only gape openly at the enticing picture he made.

"I've always been a cooperative patient," he said in a voice full of sin. "I'm in your hands, my medic nin."

And with that, he opened his arms, as if inviting her to come forward.

Haruno Sakura wasn't a girl that needed to be told things twice.

She ran forward and lunged herself towards him. As he caught her deftly in his embrace, she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck as she proceeded to kiss him with all the passion inside her.

Neji lowered both of them to the sofa nearby after a moment and allowed her to thoroughly examine him, just like she had promised she would that day not long ago in front of a room full of people.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Here you go, Tsunade-shishou," Sakura said the next morning as she placed Neji's folder upon the Hokage's desk. "My task is all done."

The Gondaime looked up at her former student and noticed something different about her. There was a shimmer around her that hadn't been there before and she was smiling more widely than she usually did. Arching an eyebrow, she regarded the pink haired medic curiously before taking Captain Hyuuga's folder and opening it, going over the information written there with the quickness of years of expertise.

The report had been signed by both examiner and examinee the night before, near midnight to be precise, and Tsunade's brow creased in confusion. She peered up at Sakura over the edge of the folder, only to notice a way too innocent look in her emerald eyes.

The Hokage simply had to smile at that.

"So, is Captain Hyuuga's condition satisfactory?" she asked, letting the girl standing in front of her know in no small terms that she was aware of the situation.

Of course, being her student, Sakura only turned to look at Tsunade with a mischievous grin and a dark chuckle. "It is _more_ than satisfactory," she replied.

"That's good to hear," the Hokage replied with a smile of her own as she proceeded to add Neji's file to the large pile of papers next to her chair. "I assume we won't have any further delays with his check up results next time, will we?"

"Definitely not," Sakura answered, a smug look on her face. "I'm sure I'll be able to give you updates quite frequently actually."

"How frequently?" the Hokage asked, the wicked glint in her eyes matching Sakura's.

"Well, let me see," she replied, turning her head as if she were thinking deeply. "Maybe twice a night, at the very least?"

Tsunade nodded, looking suitably impressed. "Sounds acceptable."

"Hn," Sakura replied, her grin still in place.

"Just make sure you don't tire him out," Tsunade said, trying to feign seriousness. "I still need him for missions, you know."

With that statement, the pink haired kunoichi fell into a loud fit of joyous laughter. The Hokage couldn't help herself and joined in a few seconds later, making the occupants of the entire building wonder just what had made two of the most powerful medic nins in the world cackle in such a way.

* * *

Thanks for your patience guys! Hope you enjoyed this! 


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